The Cecil Whig., 1887-06-04
THREE OLD GENERALS.
Sherman, Sheridan and ROsecrans They
Appeared at the Cum berIand Reunion.


Appeared at the cumberland Reunion.
The noted generals of the army are
fast passing away, and we will soon have
no more such reunions as that of the
Army of the Cumberland which took
place here last week. There is scarcely
a noted general now living whose hair Is
not gray. Logan, Hancock, Mcclellan
and Grant have died within two years.
and the wrinkles are fast creeping around
the eyes of Gen. Sherman. Sherman's
hair is still brown, however, though his
high forehead is fading off into badness
and his short red beard is as white as
snow. | watched him closely as he spoke
to the soldiers and he is the same blunt,
talented Tecumseh that he was in the
early sixties. He stood upon the plat
form part of the time, with one hand in
his pocket, and, awkwardly as he ges.
tured, he seemed perfectly at home. He
is nearly as tall as his brother John, who
sat behind him, and he is, like all his
tribe, good speechmaker. Slender.
plainly dressed, with high Henry Clay
collar and plain face showing out above
it, his blue eyes sparkled with good feel
ing as he talked, and he looked, as he is,
in full sympathy with the world. No
man in the United States enjoys life
better than William Tecumseh Sherman.
There is no age in his feelings, and he is
as warm hearted and impulsive now as
boy. He likes to kiss pretty girl as
we'll as when he was courting the daugh-
ter of Tom Ewing, tnen Secretary of the
Interior under President Taylor. He
would not have the Presidency if it were
offered him, and he has characterized
White House life as worse than the dar-
kest pictures of Dante's "Inferno."
Gen. Rosecrans, though older than
Sherman, is also young in appearance.
His face shines with good humor and he
looks like fat, stumpy, gray-headed
boy as he moves about Washington
dressed in the most common of business
clothes, and paying no regard to per-
sonal appearance. There is no suobbish-
ness about Rosecrans, and he is hail
fellow we'll met with every one. He is
sixty-eight years old, and is much
younger looking man than Senator Ed
munds, who is full ten years younger.
Rosecrans, is, however, a queer combina-
ton. He was brave officer and he
made good reputation in Congress, but
he has never gotten over his removal
from the command OF the Army of the
Cumberland, and one of the most pa
thetic sights of the reunion was his ex-
planation to his old troops as to how his
removal took place. He told the boys
how Thomas had not, as was stated by q
late book published on the subject,
thought himself superior to Rosecrans,
and how Gen. Garfield had told him at
the request of Thomas that he (Thomas)
would not serve in the Army of the Cum
berland under any other commander than
him, and that he was perfectly satisfied
to have him as his chief. Rosecrans de-
scribed the scene in the tent at Chatta-
nooga when he received his despatch re-
lieving him Of his command and when he
announced the fact to Thomas. His
story has not been published in the news
papers, but it was to my mind the most
interesting part of the meeting. ut was
at night" said he, that l received the
order, and l sent for Gen. Thomas. lie
came alone to the tent and took his seat.
| handed him the letter. He read it, and
as he did so his breast began to swell
and he turned pale. He did not want to
accept the command, but we agreed,
upon consideration, that he must do SO,
and | told him that l could not bear to
meet my troops afterwards. 4 want to
leave, said l, before the announcement
is made, and will start IN the early
morning. | packed up that night, and
the next morning about o'clock l rode
away through the fog which then hung
over the camp. The best of relations
prevailed between Gen. Thomas and my
self, and as to the statement that he con-
sidered himself my superior, and obeyed
orders only from sense Of duty, | as
sure you it was not So"
AS Rosecrans bowed to the audience
and stepped back from the platform
there was not man present who did not
feel sorry for him, and he was so much
affected him elf that his voice trem bled
as he uttered his closing words. He
talked in low tone and his accents were
almost pleading.
Gen. Sheridan was prominent figure
throughout the reunion. He has grown
much fatteI since he rode that dashing
ride to Winchester, and his hair which
was black then, is now frosted silver.
Sheridan has big head, big body and
short legs. He looks larger sitting down
than when standing, and when he has a
statue it will undoubtedly be placed
upon horseback. He looks now like a
well TODD French count who has goodly
estate and whose collars are full of rare
old Burgundy. He might have stepped
out of one Of Rubens's pictures, his COM
ple1ion is SO ford, his eyes SO blue and
his hair so white. He has the form Of
the great Napoleon, though his abdomen
Is not so large as Napoleon's was during
his latter DAYS. Gen. Sheridan is not
over > feet inches high, and his shoul-
ders are very broad and very full. His
chest is we'll thrown out, and his large,
round head is fastened to the trunk by
very short fat, horid neck A line drawn
from the tip Of his nose through to the
back of his head would measure full 12
inches, and his red forehead wrinkles like
seersucker coat when he becomes an
noyed, as he was somewhat during his
presiding over the reunion. Sheridan
was hardly at home when speaking. His
trade is war, not oratory, and during
this meeting he forgot the benediction
and made several other little mistakes,
which were graciously pardoned by the
audience. He is, however, very popular
in Washington and makes good head
for the army. He is Democratic in his
ways, but lives in the fashionable part
of the city.